Meet the Katy Family Behind the Business That Cleaned Katy ISD Stadiums for Graduation, Supports Neighbors, and Pays It Forward
For most families, graduation season is about celebrating years of hard work, milestones, and memories. For one Katy family, it was also an opportunity to help prepare the stage where those memories would be made.
Just before thousands of Katy ISD graduates and their families filled the stands at Legacy Stadium and Rhodes Stadium, the team at Katy Brothers Pressure Washing spent days cleaning bleachers, walkways, and facilities to help ensure the venues looked their best for one of the district’s most important annual traditions.
The project represented more than another commercial contract. For the father-son business based in Cinco Ranch, it was a chance to give back to a community that has supported them since they first started knocking on neighbors’ doors during the uncertainty of 2020.
From a Home Depot Pressure Washer to a Katy Success Story
Katy Brothers Pressure Washing traces its roots back to a family looking for a way to stay productive during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Originally from Austin, the family relocated to Houston in 2008 before building their home in Cinco Ranch in 2010, where they still live today. Husband and wife Jes and Russell Harms met while working at the Omni Hotel in the late 1990s and later raised their two sons, Carter and Cooper, in Katy.
The business itself started unexpectedly after the family's hospitality career path changed.
“We just started asking neighbors if we could clean their driveway with our little Home Depot pressure washer for a small fee, and then we'd donate a portion of it to charities like Katy Christian Ministries, Wounded Warrior Project, and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.”
What began as a small neighborhood effort quickly grew through word-of-mouth referrals and social media recommendations. The company was eventually named after Carter and Cooper—known around town as the "Katy Brothers"—who started pressure washing when they were just 10 and 12 years old.
Today, the family business has evolved significantly. One son helps manage payroll and finances, while the other serves as the company's mechanic. Together, they continue to play active roles in daily operations.
A Business Built on Family and Service
Working together has strengthened relationships within the family while helping each member discover their individual strengths.
Over the years, the company expanded beyond residential driveways into commercial properties, homeowner associations, parking lots, schools, and large-scale community projects. Along the way, the family invested heavily in education and professional training to learn the proper equipment, techniques, and cleaning solutions required for different surfaces and structures.
Their hospitality background remains a driving force behind their approach.
“We don't want our service to be just another transaction, we want our clients to be blown away with the entire experience from start to finish.”
That philosophy has helped the company earn a reputation for honesty and transparency. Rather than recommending services customers may not need, the team says they prioritize long-term relationships and delivering meaningful results.
Giving Back Through the ‘Pay It Forward’ Mission
Community involvement remains central to the company's identity.
Since launching its "Pay It Forward" program in 2022, Katy Brothers Pressure Washing has donated its services to local organizations throughout the Katy area. Previous recipients have included The Ballard House, Grand Lakes Presbyterian Church, Stanley Elementary School, and other community institutions.
The family also regularly looks for opportunities to assist residents facing difficult circumstances.
One recent example involved a widow in the Fulshear-Richmond area who had recently lost her husband to pancreatic cancer. After learning her story while working nearby, the family decided to clean her property at no cost.
“Money comes and goes, but we believe kindness matters, and has a lasting affect.”
Those moments, they say, often become more meaningful than any business accomplishment.
Preparing Katy ISD's Graduation Stage
Cleaning Legacy Stadium and Rhodes Stadium presented one of the largest projects in company history.
Along with maintaining more than 200 monuments and approximately 33 miles of brick walls for the Cinco Ranch HOA, the graduation project ranks among the most extensive assignments the company has completed.
The work also carried personal significance. The family has celebrated milestones inside those same stadiums and will do so again in the future.
“We've sat in those stadiums ourselves and watched our older Son graduate as proud parents.”
The connection runs even deeper. All of the company's team members are Katy ISD alumni from campuses including Jordan, Seven Lakes, Tompkins, and Paetow high schools.
As they cleaned row after row of bleachers and worked through long days preparing the facilities, the family often paused to appreciate the role they were playing in a milestone event for thousands of local students.
Building a Legacy Beyond Business
For the family behind Katy Brothers Pressure Washing, success extends beyond revenue growth or expanding service territory.
Their vision includes continuing to serve Katy residents, supporting local organizations, and creating something meaningful that future generations can look back on with pride.
The company’s story has become as much about relationships as pressure washing. Many customers have become friends over the years, leading to invitations to birthday parties, crawfish boils, and other neighborhood gatherings.
When asked what they hope people remember years from now, the answer reflects the values that have guided the company since day one.
“We don't always get it right, but we will always do the right thing.”
As another graduation season comes to a close, thousands of graduates will remember the diplomas, celebrations, and photographs taken inside Legacy Stadium and Rhodes Stadium. Behind the scenes, one local family can take pride in knowing they helped prepare the backdrop for memories that will last a lifetime.
What Happens Next
Katy Brothers Pressure Washing plans to continue expanding its community outreach efforts, with the next recipient of its annual Pay It Forward program expected to be announced later this summer. Meanwhile, the family remains focused on serving homeowners, businesses, HOAs, and community organizations throughout Katy and the surrounding area.
For a company whose roots began with two young brothers, a small pressure washer, and a desire to give back, the mission remains remarkably simple: serve others well and leave every place better than they found it.
Stay tuned to My Neighborhood News for more stories highlighting the people, businesses, and organizations helping shape the Katy community.
Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.
